Forbidden Secrets
by mestiza91
Summary: She's been kept a secret her whole life but now her whole life will be turned upside down... Simon/OC This is my first fic, so please be nice. It's short atm, but believe me, there's way more to come! Thank you and please R/R
1. Chapter 1

**Forbidden Secrets**

**CHAPTER ONE: THE LETTER**

Maryse Lightwood sat in the Institute's Library, her face contorted into confusion as she read the letter that had just arrived from the Clave. In a final act of frustration she stood up and threw the letter in the crackling flames of the fireplace. She didn't want to believe what was written on it. At that very moment her husband Robert had walked into the room, confusion lined his face, betraying his age,

"What are you doing," he questioned her, "where did that come from," he bombarded her again before she'd had a chance to reply. Maryse spun around, the firelight illuminating the grey that had come to streak her hair,

"It was a letter from the clave," was all she managed to say, the words barely escaping her taut mouth. She set her slim hands down on the desk in front of her for support before she slinked into the chair behind it. She held a hand over her eyes. Robert could not help but feel the need to be at his wife's side. He quickly paced up to the desk and turned his wife's slim chin toward him,

"Whatever it is, I want you to tell me, Maryse," his eyes had grown soft, concerned for his wife.

"Robert. You know that my brother left the Clave to marry a mundane," she was clutching the edge of the desk, her fingers turning white. Robert nodded in reply, "it was a letter from the Clave, telling me he had a child: a daughter. She'll be arriving within the week," the confusion was clearly gone from her face, replaced by a look of anxiousness, Robert looked at her with wide eyes, clearly he wanted to know more,

"Well, what else? Is she an infant, does she require refuge?" he sounded furious, but merely mirrored the expression of his wife,

"She's no infant, she's a shadowhunter. She's one of the Nomadic Nephilim,"

The look on Robert's face told her that he clearly didn't share the same sentiment as her. He stood up and threw his hands in the air, looking almost pained, "then what's the problem Maryse? She's family isn't she? You shouldn't be so worked up about this," he didn't quite understand why she was having difficulty processing this information. For as long as he'd known her and loved her, she'd always been one to take pride in family, to her it was precious; even more so now that their youngest child Max had been killed.

He reached for her hand to reassure her that their niece would be no problem in their lives. She was a shadowhunter, she was family. Maryse stood up, and stalked across the room towards the window before she was able to turn around and say, "She may be of my blood, but I do not know her. I love my brother despite all the wrongs he's made against the Clave; I hope I can say the same for his child,"

The look on her face was pure nervousness. She'd hidden the secret that she had a niece from the moment she was born, she'd hidden the postcards, birthday cards, even Christmas cards that her niece, Analiese had sent them over the years, even though they didn't celebrate the mundane religious event, and now she would have to explain to her children why they'd never been told that all their lives they'd had a cousin whom they'd never known.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own any of the characters from The Mortal Instruments Series. I know this chapter may not be that exciting, I'm still setting up the story and it contains some crucial information for later on down the track. Please read and review. Thanks :P**

**CHAPTER TWO: Truths**

All through the night Maryse Lightwood wondered whether she should confess to her husband, Robert that she'd known all along that they'd had a niece. She could still remember the night when she was first told about Analiese's existence. Her and Robert had just been trialed by the Clave and were finishing their preparations to leave for New York when she'd been summoned by the Consul. She was immensely curious as to why she had been summoned alone. Throughout everything they'd been through together, they'd always been interrogated and judged as a couple, which is precisely what made this circumstance all the more confusing for her. When the time had come for her to leave the house, she told Robert that she had to see the Consul, and this time alone. He pleasantly understood and grabbing her cloak on the way out she'd set off up the hill toward the Gard. She was slightly nervous, wondering if there was a greater punishment in store for her that she'd not been informed of already for not repudiating Valentine's ways before the Uprising.

When she eventually reached the Gard, the Consul greeted her, "Good evening Maryse," he bowed slightly, prompting her to do the same.

"Good evening Consul," she succeeded in maintaining a calm façade. The Consul started walking indicating with a flick of his fingers that she fall into step next to him,

"I have no doubt that you must be wondering why I have summoned you here tonight," he said almost with a sneer.

"To be honest, Consul, I am rather curious as to why you require me alone and not also my husband, Robert," she looked into his eyes for even a hint of an answer. All she got was a secretive smile,

"Patience, Maryse. The answer will come in due time,"

She walked with him down a familiar and lengthy hallway, decorated beautifully to match that of an era that indulged in gold-rimmed paintings, Persian carpets and gold-leafed light fixtures which glowed with witchlight. When they finally reached his chamber they entered, the silence between them broken only by the click of the door being locked behind them. The Consul strode calmly to his desk. It was ancient carved wood, polished to perfection, and inscribed with the usual insignia which was ever-present throughout Alicante.

"Please," he smiled with arms wide open, "take a seat, Maryse, you may require it once we're done talking," she cautiously sat down in one of the plush armchairs opposite his desk at the same time as he primly positioned himself in his own chair behind the desk. He moved slowly, opening a drawer and pulling out a letter. Perhaps it was addressed to her? She pondered the possibility briefly before he started speaking to her snapping her out of the reverie she'd been in, "Maryse, I've called you here tonight to speak with you of an issue which involves your brother," his fingers were twined together on his desk and covered whatever words were on the letter in front of him. At the mentioning of her brother her interest peaked and she unwillingly raised an eyebrow out of genuine curiosity,

"How so?" she asked, "my brother is no longer of the Clave. You know that I am not in contact with him. After everything that has occurred all communications I receive are closely monitored," the Consul cut her off,

"I know. The matter at hand is a family affair," she didn't like where this conversation was heading, "The letter before me is from an informant telling me that when your brother left the Clave, he married a mundane of this world and renounced all acknowledgment that the shadow world and the Nephilim exist. He and his wife live not far from Idris, they reside in Spain in fact,"

"But what has this got to do with me?" she asked quickly, not able to hold her patience any longer. The Consul half scowled at her interruption and she abruptly finished her sentence, allowing him to continue.

"They have had a child. We know this because since he left we have been keeping tabs on him, assuring ourselves that he has had no allegiance with Valentine and has not revealed our existence to the mundane population. It seems even his wife has no knowledge of his upbringing or his true heritage. The interesting part of this tale is that their daughter, whom they have named Analiese, is now a year old and has shown great signs that the Nephilim genes have grown strong within her,"

Maryse's face appeared somewhat drained of colour. When she was a child she'd heard about what happened to children like Analiese who were born into the mundane world but showed true potential as a shadowhunter, "and we have done what was needed," Maryse's anger burst through, she strongly disagreed,

"You can't! She's not your child. You have no right to take her away from her parents," the Consul stood and held a hand up to her to silence her.

"You of all people know that the Nephilim are not the people we once were. After many hundreds of years our numbers have dwindled. You know we will have need of her, perhaps not at this very moment, but certainly in the future. The Trueblood genes that so strongly course through your veins are so strong in her that it does not make sense that her mother is a mundane; and admittedly her initial testing shows her potential as a shadowhunter is greater than many children in Alicante. The reason why I tell you this is so you know that when she is grown, come her eighteenth year, her Nomadic Mark that she will receive will eventually lead her to you,"

Maryse's facial expression betrayed her inner thoughts. _Why? _The Consul it seemed read her expression and answered her question, "She will become one of the Nomadic Nephilim. She will not have a one true home. That is the price she must pay for being half mundane. I assume you know the rest? The rumours that you heard growing up?" he had given her a clear pause to express what knowledge she had. She did not know the whole truth, but as a teenager she'd heard someone whispering behind her in History class once, telling a tale of a Nomadic Nephilim. The words poured out of her without restraint, "She will be raised as an orphan, passed from Institute to Institute, and will be unable to revisit the same place again until five years has passed. The mind of her mundane mother will be glamoured to never know the secret her daughter hides. Knowing my brother, he will simply mourn the loss of his daughter each day to a world he left behind," she looked up toward the solemn face of the Consul, "that is all I can remember," she then looked down at her hands, playing with her fingers.

The Consul carried on, "you are correct. Her mother will never know the truth. She will not even remember she had a daughter named Analiese. Your brother and his wife will be permitted to live the rest of their natural lives in peace. But as I was saying before, when the girl turns eighteen, she will feel drawn to seek you out. As her only family remaining who shares the shadowhunter secrets she will naturally feel bound to you, and after a maximum visiting period of one year, she will be forced to leave,"

Maryse thought this was a good thing. Although Analiese would be moving constantly from place to place, she would eventually be able to meet her family. If this was a bad thing why did the Consul feel the need to discuss this matter in private?

"However," Maryse flicked her head up, intrigue burning in her eyes, "as laid down by the law that all Nephilim abide by, she shall receive a reward for being forced into a life of near-solitude,"

"What do you mean? What kind of reward?" Maryse asked.

"After one year, if she so chooses, she may bind herself to a family member of her selection, to become her Parabatai, a companion for life, who will share her nomadic lifestyle. This is what I wanted to warn you about," the Consul stopped speaking, watching Maryse frozen in her seat with her hands gripping the arms of the chair she was sitting in.

As her knuckles turned to white she spoke, "but, as you said. It is if she chooses, right? She doesn't have to take anyone with her?" there was eagerness in her voice. She could not bear the thought of having to say goodbye to her son or any future children she may have.

The Consul nodded, "that is correct. In seventeen years time, when the time comes, it is imperative that you do not force an ultimate choice upon her. Her mind may be fragile and it will be important to allow her into your life, to get to know your family,"

Maryse practically screamed at him, "Why? Why would that be most imperative? If she has the ability to take one of my children away from me why should I let her into our lives?"

"Because, Maryse," the Consul looked concerned, "after seventeen years of having no family, she will most likely feel insecure, distrust towards you. Allowing her to get to know your family, may, after a year, have helped her feel love and compassion towards you, and therefore, she will more likely be able to understand the detrimental effects of unwillingly removing of a person from their family-environment,"

Maryse understood now. It was imperative she allow Analiese into their lives to help her understand over time that taking someone from her family, no matter how lonely she may have been growing up, is a difficult decision. The Consul stood up at that moment. Clearly their conversation was coming to its end, "there is one more thing, Maryse. When she comes to you, she will not know that she has the power to bind someone to her forever. She will only be informed by the Clave that she has this ability after 50 weeks have passed. It is done this way to protect the family she belongs to; to assist her in making her decision in a calm, unbiased manner,"

Maryse's face was expressionless as she stood up from where she sat, prepared to leave, "I understand Consul. Thank you for your guidance in this matter," and with that she bowed, turned her heels and left the Gard. As she walked down the hill towards the main street that led to her house she decided to banish all negative possibilities which could result from her meeting Analiese.

She was snapped out of her remembrance by Robert's sudden loud snoring beside her. It had helped her realize why she was so nervous: Analiese could bind Alex or Isabelle to her forever. And she hoped that her children would understand why she'd not told them of their cousin's existence. She could imagine the anger and surprise that would extort their faces when she told them. Ever since Max's death, Isabelle and Alec had been very protective of making sure that the siblings they had left – Jace, and by extension, Clary – stayed safe; family had become incredibly important to them. They would want an explanation from her. It was at that moment that Maryse Lightwood decided it would be best to just pretend she'd never known Analiese existed – after all – she'd never even told Robert she knew about Analiese. She just hoped that Analiese didn't mention anything about the cards she'd been sending them all these years; otherwise she'd have some explaining to do.

**Thanks for reading. Please tell me what you think! :D**


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